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NFC Wildcard Sunday: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints

The fourth and final wildcard game on Sunday features a pair of NFC South teams. The Carolina Panthers are on the road at the New Orleans Saints. The Saints won the first two meetings between these two teams. The Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints both come into the game with 11-5 record. The Saints get the home field due to tiebreaker rules over the Panthers, and their head to head wins.

Payton has Saints Rolling

The New Orleans Saints are known for their great ability to run the football, but don’t forget Drew Brees can still game it done via the pass. The quarterback still had a solid season with more than 4,330 yards and 23 touchdowns. Michael Thomas was the lead receiver for the Saints with more than 100 receptions, 1,200 yards and 5 touchdowns.

The running game saw Alvin Kamara burst on the scene this season. Mark Ingram actually passed him this season with nearly 235 carries, 12 touchdowns, and more than 1,100 yards on the ground. The Saints averaged 129.4 yards per game on the ground, and threw for an additional 261 per game.

On the season, Newton tossed for 3,302 yards and 22 touchdowns. Devin Funchess finished with 840 yards and 8 touchdowns. Newton was also the top rusher for the Panthers with 754 yards on the ground. The Panthers actually finished 4th in the league in rushing yards with just over 130 yards per game.

Panthers Upset Saints in New Orleans

The CarolinaPanthers are due to get back on track. Sure, they are on the road, but that defense is still pretty good. The Panthers defense is going to do whatever they can to keep Kamara and Ingram from rushing like crazy on them. The Carolina offense should be able to get ChristianMcCaffrey involved, and Cam Newton to take care of the football.